A healthy and thriving startup ecosystem is vital in helping the regional economy which the former is a subset to to be innovative and resilient, thus able to weather market volatilities caused by various macroeconomic factors. Although there is substantial literature in the United States expounding the components of a desirable startup ecosystem, lesser attention is being paid to this subject matter in most parts of Asia.

Building a robust local startup ecosystem is not a case of imitating best practices elsewhere although oftentimes this is the fastest way to learn about one’s own deficiencies. No different from building a startup, a startup ecosystem builder must also identify which problems are worth solving and/or which values can be delivered best, validate assumptions, and build something the startup ecosystem wants. And yes, there is actually a role called startup ecosystem builder, and it is time to recognise who is one and how roles and responsibilities can be defined and shared.

An important realisation to have as early as practicable is that not every startup ecosystem can be built the same, each comes with its own strengths and limitations etc, even the mature startup ecosystem like the one in Silicon Valley is not without its constraints. Instead of trying to overcome every obstacle, work with startup ecosystem builders from other regions and establish unique strategic synergies collectively.

A good startup ecosystem builder gels the different ecosystem stakeholders together through mutually-beneficial initiatives. A great startup ecosystem builder gels the different startup ecosystems together to create global and sustainable impacts. Vision defines boundaries, so time to aim high.